


Gravity

by tinx_r



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: AU, M/M, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-16
Updated: 2009-12-16
Packaged: 2017-11-17 15:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/553226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinx_r/pseuds/tinx_r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Only Nick's skill as a pilot stands between the Riptide and certain doom...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gravity

**Author's Note:**

> Space Pirates

**Title:** Gravity  
 **Rating:** PG  
 **Summary:** Only Nick's skill as a pilot stands between the Riptide and certain doom...

"Full reverse thrust," Cody shouted, leaning forward and staring out the Riptide's viewscreen. "What the hell is that thing?"

Nick staggered as the forward motion of the craft abruptly ceased, and went to Cody's shoulder. "You got any ideas, Boz?" he asked, eyes fixed on the strange whirling mass that loomed ahead.

"A - a meteor shower?" Murray turned to his console, pressing buttons quickly. "Roboz! Roboz! Where are you?"

The little orange robot hovered into view, bobbing at his master's shoulder. I AM HERE, MURRAY.

"Oh, oh, very good, Roboz, very good. Now listen, analysis mode, and scan that cloud."

"Quick, Murray, it looks like it's coming closer." Cody tapped his nav-screen, sending the Riptide into a low-powered arc to starboard. "I don't know if we can get around it..."

With a soft chime, the Roboz delivered the results of the scan, and Murray jumped to his feet. "Guys!" he said, hurrying to join Nick and Cody in front of the viewscreen. "This is like nothing I've ever come across before! It's completely unknown to science! There's some sort of huge mass in there, and the nebula around it... it's like some kind of miniature star system!"

"Yeah, but Murray, is it dangerous?" Nick asked, looking anxiously from the Navigation Officer to Cody. Gently he tapped the communicator on his wrist, relieved when Mimi's response came instantly. At least the gunship was online and ready.

He took a step back to his own console and checked the Riptide's own armaments. Her weaponry wasn't extensive, but she carried a sophisticated laser that had gotten them out of tight spots in the past, and her proto-cannons, while outdated, were functional and effective against unshielded enemies.

"Don't arm us yet," Cody said sharply, and Nick paused, finger on the button, eyes on his captain.

"You sure, man?"

"We don't want to look like a threat. Nick, whatever that thing is, it's a hell of a lot bigger than us."

"No kidding." Nick staggered as the Riptide lurched. "What the hell's going on?"

"We're being sucked into its gravitational field," Cody said grimly, giving the thrusters more power. "We're not going to be able to go around this thing."

"I'll see if I can get any sort of broadcast," Murray yelped, running back to his own station. "Roboz, scan all available comms. And run its speed and direction - see if we can figure out where this thing has come from!"

The Riptide lurched again, pulled closer to the whirling cloud, and Nick was struck with a sudden idea. "Roboz! Murray! Do you know exactly where the solid mass is at the center of this thing?"

"Well, sure, Nick, it's 14 cambits distant, and its center is at 42 degrees - "

"Lay it out for me, Murray," Nick said grimly, and went to Cody's side. "Listen, big guy, you gonna trust me with your ship?"

"My ship?" Cody swung around, blue eyes wide. "Nick, whaddaya mean?"

"Spent half my life runnin' meteor showers in a jerry-built craft made the Mimi look like a luxury liner," Nick said with a mirthless smile. "This thing's gonna suck us in, one way or another, and I figure the only way out is straight on through. You game?"

"I - well, sure." Cody swallowed hard, and stepped aside. "Nick, are you sure about this?"

"There's a certain amount of sense in it, Cody," Murray agreed, tapping urgently at the buttons on the console. Thick white dots appeared on the viewscreen as he worked, each, as Nick knew, representing the solid masses inside the cloud. Nick stared at them for a moment, mapping them as well as he could in his head, and grasped the Riptide's throttle.

He met Cody's eyes as he pressed the ship back to full power, telling his lover everything without saying a word, and smiled at Cody's nod. Then he turned his head back to the viewscreen and gave himself over to the task at hand.

Beneath him, the Riptide gathered herself and shot forward, the sleek craft zooming towards the heart of the whirling dark. Nick felt the pull of the gravity and rode it like a wave, cresting it, using it for more power, more speed, Left, right, left and then a fast sprint - Nick held his breath, then pressed the ship's nose down into a long dive, pulling her out of it with a sharp turn to port. There was a clang and a jolt as the edge of something heavy struck the little craft, but Nick corrected her with the lightest touch and then they were climbing again, past the center and with only the final run to make.

Four more dots appeared on the viewscreen and Nick swore as he realized they were moving with intent, trying to block his path. With a practiced flick, he armed the Riptide and sent her into a spin, hearing Cody's worried cry and Murray's wild, delighted laughter, and as the craft straightened out, Nick sent her into a steep dive, directly at the largest of the barriers.

"Man the laser, Cody!" Nick shouted, and heard his partner's understanding gasp. "Now man, now!"

The Riptide bounded as the weapon deployed, and Nick rolled her, high and slow, then looped the loop and shot towards the space the mass had been. On either side, he saw darkness too black, too empty, to be space itself, but the Riptide seemed to find an extra burst of speed and flew through the gap. Dimly ahead Nick saw the lighter dark of clean, pure space and shouted exultantly, as the Riptide burst free from the cloying, unclean gravity of the mass at their backs.

"Wow, Nick, that was so boss!" Murray was slapping him on the back, and Cody had his arm around him, and Nick looked from one to the other, grinning, breathing deeply. He felt almost lightheaded from the thrill and the concentration.

Running a meteor cloud had never left him so wrung out, but back then, there'd been nothing at stake. Not like this. If he'd had time to think about the consequences, the thousand and one things that could go wrong, he'd never have done it.

On the viewscreen, the menacing darkness disappeared behind them, and Nick sank into the captain's chair as Cody fired up the communicator to warn Mama Jo and the resistance of the danger lurking at the bottom of the Auriga nebula. One wrong move, one slow turn, and he'd have killed them all. The enormity of it nearly drowned him and he started to shake.

"Nick! Nick, what is it? Murray, did that thing have some kind of field or - or something?"

Nick opened his eyes to find Cody bending over him, grasping his shoulders, blue eyes terrified. "Nick? Nick, talk to me, buddy!"

"I'm okay, Cody." Nick straightened up, lifting a hand to Cody's shoulder, squeezing. He let his partner pull him to his feet and leaned against him as Murray clucked anxiously, chattering about fields and ionisation and motion sickness. He raised a hand to cover his eyes. "Leave it, Murray, huh? I'm not spacesick."

"Well, but Nick, it wouldn't be surprising if you were! I'm feeling a little queasy myself, although that was really boss flying! Really really boss! Wow, I wonder if I could learn to do that. I bet the Roboz could plot out a course for me - "

Nick buried his head in Cody's shoulder, and Cody tightened his arm around him. "Listen, Murray, why don't you keep on with the analysis of that thing, huh? You know Mama Jo said she'd pay for a proper breakdown, and we could use the credits. I'm gonna take Nick below."

"Oh, oh, good idea, Cody!" Murray nodded owlishly and headed back to his console. "Oh, and there's some of that powdered geraldia preparation in the medical kit, it's great for spacesickness!'

"Thanks, Murray," Cody said, drowning out Nick's growl.

"I'm not spacesick," Nick repeated as Cody led him into their own quarters. "I'm fine."

"I know you're not spacesick, but you're not fine either." Cody sank onto the bunk, looking expectantly at his lover. "C'mere, babe."

Nick looked at him almost angrily. "Cody, I could have killed us. I could have killed you!"

"Yeah, you could have," Cody agreed. Nick, expecting a reassurance, shut his mouth on the angry denial he'd been about to voice and looked at his partner in mute surprise.

Cody gave him a small smile. "Nick, babe, if you'd made a wrong move we'd have died, but if you hadn't run that thing, we'd be just as dead. You did what you had to do, the only thing you _could_ do, and you saved all our necks. Thing is..." Cody broke off, looking down.

"I'd die for you," Nick said, his voice breaking.

There was a moment of fragile silence between them. Silence that said more than any words. Eventually, Nick broke it. "You don't get it, Cody. I ran that fucking thing like it was a scale three meteor storm and I was some kid with twelve hours flying under my belt showing off for the guys on base. Like it was some kind of game. And all the time I could have killed you!"

"But Nick." Cody stood up, still smiling, and put his hands on his partner's shoulders. "Listen to me, pal. Don't you get it? That's why you got us through. Because you're a crazy sonofabitch who runs meteor storms for fun. Because you never saw a Unity cruiser you didn't think we could take down with a couple of phasers and a proton-grenade. That's why I knew you could do it. Because there's nothing in this universe that scares you, Nick Ryder."

The bruised, haunted look in Nick's eyes lightened and he smiled, stepping closer to his lover. "One thing scares me," he said quietly, raising a hand to Cody's cheek.

Cody grinned and pulled him close. "Well, I'm your captain. Only natural you'd be in awe of me."

Nick chuckled, leaning in and claiming a kiss. "I have it on good authority," he murmured, kissing Cody again, "that I'm a crazy sonofabitch. But I'm not that crazy."


End file.
